Vehicle cameras are used for a variety of purposes, such as object detection and identification or assisting in moving the vehicle in one or more directions, e.g., back-up camera. A surround view camera system can be used to construct a 360° view of the exterior of the vehicle. This view can be displayed as a bird's eye view to the driver to help, for example, the driver prevent striking objects around the vehicle. Since the camera systems rely on the field of view of the individual camera units, it is important to keep these fields of view unobstructed during use to maximize visibility.
In current surround view systems, the cameras are provided on the exterior of the vehicle, e.g., on the side mirrors, on the exterior of the front/rear windshield, on the front grill, on the rear bumper, and along the exterior vehicle side panels. The lenses of the prior art camera assemblies are therefore exposed to the vehicle exterior, which allows dirt, debris, condensation, precipitation, etc. to collect or obstruct the camera's field of view. Consequently, the images acquired by any obstructed camera are incomplete or include distorted/inaccurate views of the actual conditions within its field of view.
Moreover, the exposed camera lenses require the manual removal of any lens obstruction by the driver or vehicle occupant wiping, cleaning, etc. the actual camera lens with a rag or the like to restore full clarify within its field of view. The lenses secured to the vehicle exterior are also exposed to objects kicked up during driving, such as rocks, trash, etc. Consequently, the lenses can be damaged due to their vulnerability along the vehicle exterior.